Munich, Nyala, Khartoum, March 16, 2015 -- GAF AG has successfully accomplished the extensive fieldwork programme in its Darfur Natural Resources Mapping and Database Project carried out for the Darfur Land Commission (DLC). It is the so far largest comprehensive and most up-to-date inventory and capacity-building project on the natural resources and ecological potential of this 500,000 sqkm Saharian/Sahelian region.

A wealth of Earth observation and existing data served as base for preparation, recent field data and Darfur wide mapping including change detection at different scales will deliver now accurate planning data for regional development measures. The field data collection started in 2011 and has been continued over several dry and wet seasons up to end of January 2015. Thematic areas covered are Geology and Minerals, Water Resources, Geomorphology and Soils, further Ecology, Biology and Biodiversity, Land Cover and Land Use and the changes in these over the past decades, and finally Socioeconomic Conditions and Livelihoods in selected population centres. The fieldwork was carried out by expert teams by topic and region or state, involving at peak times well over 120 national and international staff to fulfil the enormous task.

Eng. Mohamed Abdulrahman Mudalal, DLC Commissioner states: “We are first of all very satisfied that we were able to entirely complete the ambitious fieldwork programme and could even add in specific thematic aspects, this despite the security challenges we have seen the past years. The first analysis shows very promising results. They will allow considerably better management of resources and for a targeted rural and urban development of the region.”

Photo: GAF AG

Capture: Fieldworks campaign,
Geneina project office, August 2014

About DLC

The DLC was established in 2007 as an integral part of the Transitional Darfur Regional Authority (TDRA) to address traditional and historical issues of land tenure and to review natural resources management. TDRA, the interim authority for the Darfur region of Sudan, was created earlier under the terms of the Darfur Peace Agreement (signed in 2006) and since 2012 has been replaced by the Darfur Regional Authority (DRA) under Chairman Dr Tijani Sisi.

The DRA is defined by the Darfur Peace Agreement as being the principal instrument for the implementation of that agreement in cooperation with the Sudanese Government and the support of international partners. The DRA is tasked with enhancing the implementation, coordination and promotion of post-conflict reconstruction and development projects and activities in Darfur and is responsible for the cooperation among the five Darfur states.

About GAF

The company is based in Munich, Germany and has developed to a leading European Geo-information and consulting solutions provider with a high reputation. GAF today delivers turn-key projects in natural resources management, water and environment, agriculture, forestry and climate change, renewable resources, mining and geology. Over the past 29 years, GAF has been active with over 500 projects in more than 100 countries worldwide. The company is part of the Telespazio Group, which belongs to Finmeccanica and Thales, two European technology leaders. The Darfur NRDB project is a beacon project to illustrate GAF’s broad and deep geo-information consulting activities in Africa, where the company has covered nearly the whole continent and many prominent natural resources and biodiversity hot-spots.